Railway-tie and clamp.



S. R. STILL.

RAILWAY TIE AND CLAMP.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1914.

1,097,373. Patented May 19, 1914,

UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

SUN R. STILL, OF HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS.

RAILWAY-TIE AND CLAMP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SUN It. STILL, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Hot Springs, in the county of Garland and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Ties and Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a combined railway tie and clamp and it has for its object, to provide an improved article of this nature constructed in such manner that the rail will be securely clamped to the tie by the placing in position of a single wedging element.

Another object of the invention is to simplify and cheapen the construction of an article of this nature.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a part of a railway track constructed in accordance with the invention, and Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view therethrough.

Like numerals designate corresponding parts in both of the figures of the drawing.

Referring to the drawing the numerals 5 designate the rails. These rails are of substantially X shape in cross section so that they comprise a wedge shape base and tread portion 6 and 7. Ties 8 are provided with dovetailed recesses 9 within which the base portions of'the rails are seated and said base portions are wedged into said recesses by wedges 10 which wedges are held against movement after they have been driven into position by set screws or like fastening devices 11 threaded into the overhanging portion 12 of the tie. As is best illustrated in Fig. 1 the wedges 1O taper in two directions, that is they taper from end to end and also from the bottom to the top. The tapering of these wedges from end to end causes them when they are driven home, to clench the base portions of the rail against the inner sides of the dovetailed recesses 9 and the tapering of these wedges from top to bottom causes them to act against the abutting face of the base portion of the rail to force the rail firmly down against the bottom of the dovetailed recesses 9. The ties 8 are preferably made of steel and they provide means not only for supporting the rail but they provide means for clamping the rail base Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 18, 191-4.

Patented May 19, 1914.

Serial No. 819,431.

and for spacing the rails the proper distance apart. The rails are firmly seated in comparatively deep recesses of the ties and it is manifestly impossible for the rails to spread. It is therefore apparent that the use of this device will prevent many of the serious railway accidents that have heretofore occurred because of the spreading of the rails. Furthermore the structure herein shown and described is a very cheap and economical one.

While the elements shown and described are well adapted to serve the purposes for which they are intended, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set forth, but includes within its purview such changes as may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a railroad track construction the j combination with rails of substantial X i shape in cross section to thereby provide the tread and base portion united at substantially the vertical center of the rail, of ties having recesses formed therein for the reception of said rail, saidrecesses being of substantially half the depth of the rail, vertically considered, said recesses having overhanging inner walls which lie flush against the base portion of the rail from the bottom thereof to the vertical center of the rail the opposite side walls of said recesses being likewise undercut but spaced from the base portions of the rails, wedges seated between the base portions of the rails and said undercut walls, said wedges tapering in'two directions the inner faces being of such shape as to lie flat against the base portions of the rail from the bottom of the rail to substantially the vertical center thereof.

2. In a railroad track construction the the base portion of the rail from the bottom thereof to the vertical center of the rail the opposite side walls of said recesses being likewise undercut but spaced from the base to the width of the recess that the rails may 10 portions of the rails wedges seated between be rocked out of said recesses. the base portions of the rails and said un- In testimony whereof I affiX my signature dercut walls, said wedfges tapering in two in presence of two witnesses. 5 directions the inner aces being of such shape as to lie flat against the base portions SUN STILL of the rail from the bottom of the rail to Witnesses: substantially the vertical center thereof, the R. B. GRAVES, width of said base being such in proportion J. R. LONG.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 01: five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

